Punished for wearing her hair in dreadlocks. Suspended from school for "attitude" violations.
School pushout begins with discipline policy. And while most discipline codes use seemingly objective language, many policies disproportionately impact girls of color - especially Black girls - for unnecessary reasons. Dress, hair, and sexual misconduct codes are just a few examples of policies that have a disparate impact on girls of color.
These policies, along with stereotypes and implicit biases, result in more frequent and harsher punishment for Black girls. In fact, Black girls are over 5 times more likely to be suspended than white girls. These punishments negatively affect students' academic performance and engagement, not to mention their long-term economic prospects.
Now more than ever we must provide girls of color with support and resources, not punishment. It's time to end school pushout and #LetHerLearn!
